ਵਿਆਹ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਬਦ

A Punjabi wedding runs for days, and every stage of it has its own word. There is the night of singing before, the procession of the groom, the formal meeting of the families, the ceremony itself around the Guru Granth Sahib, and the tearful farewell at the end. Learn these eleven words and you can follow a Punjabi wedding from the first drumbeat to the last goodbye; each one links to its full page in the Kosh.

The wedding and its stages

<a href="/kosh/words/vyah/">ਵਿਆਹ (vyah)</a> - marriage, a wedding

<a href="/kosh/words/kurmai/">ਕੁੜਮਾਈ (kurmai)</a> - the formal engagement ceremony, also called sagai

<a href="/kosh/words/shagun/">ਸ਼ਗਨ (shagun)</a> - auspicious gift of money or goods given as a blessing at a wedding

<a href="/kosh/words/jaago/">ਜਾਗੋ (jaago)</a> - wake up: the singing procession on the night before the wedding

<a href="/kosh/words/mehndi/">ਮਹਿੰਦੀ (mehndi)</a> - henna: the dye, the patterns on the hands and feet, and the celebration around painting them

<a href="/kosh/words/chooda/">ਚੂੜਾ (chooda)</a> - the bride's set of red and white bangles, gifted by her maternal uncle and aunt

<a href="/kosh/words/baraat/">ਬਰਾਤ (baraat)</a> - the groom's wedding procession

<a href="/kosh/words/milni/">ਮਿਲਣੀ (milni)</a> - the formal meeting and garlanding of the two families

<a href="/kosh/words/anand-karaj/">ਅਨੰਦ ਕਾਰਜ (anand karaj)</a> - the Sikh wedding ceremony, the ceremony of blissful union

<a href="/kosh/words/laavan/">ਲਾਵਾਂ (laavan)</a> - the four wedding hymns, sung as the couple circles the Guru Granth Sahib

<a href="/kosh/words/doli/">ਡੋਲੀ (doli)</a> - the bride's farewell departure, once carried in a palanquin

How to use these words

The order of the words is the order of the wedding. First the ਜਾਗੋ (jaago) wakes the neighbourhood the night before; in the morning the ਬਰਾਤ (baraat) dances its way in; the ਮਿਲਣੀ (milni) joins the two families; the ਅਨੰਦ ਕਾਰਜ (Anand Karaj) marries the couple with the four ਲਾਵਾਂ (laavan); and the ਡੋਲੀ (doli) takes the bride home. Diaspora weddings in Canada and Britain keep the same words, even when the hall replaces the village street.

Guests mostly need two skills: dancing when the dhol starts, and the congratulations. The word is ਮੁਬਾਰਕਾਂ (mubaarakan), and the full phrases are on the celebration phrases and the Punjabi phrases pages.

What is a Sikh wedding called in Punjabi?

A Sikh wedding is called the ਅਨੰਦ ਕਾਰਜ (Anand Karaj), the ceremony of blissful union. The couple circles the Guru Granth Sahib four times as the four ਲਾਵਾਂ (laavan) hymns are sung.

What does baraat mean?

ਬਰਾਤ (baraat) is the groom's wedding procession, which travels to the bride's home or the venue with music, dancing and the dhol, and is received by her family.

What is the doli at a Punjabi wedding?

The ਡੋਲੀ (doli) is the bride's farewell departure from her parents' home after the wedding. It is the most emotional moment of the celebrations, marked by songs of parting.